Wichita eagle., 1887-01-19
9ai1g eagle
THINK THEY ARE SICK.
IMAGINARY ILLS TO WHICH HUMAN
FLESH is HEIR.
!. People who Insist Upon Being Dosed,
and How They are Accommodate ed.
Bread Pills and Simple Sirup for
Fancied Ailments

Fancied Ailments.
DO you sec that ladys''
A prominent Detroit physician indicated
lady who had just left his Office.
well, she imagines she has consumption,
and this is her third visit to me. You
needn't look surprised. If 1 We're to tell
her the truth-that she hasn't the remOtest
symptoms of the disease-she would think
me fool, and go to another doctor. And
If he told her the truth she would keep on
going until she found physician who
agreed with her The only way to deal
i, with persons who think they have consump-
! ton is to humor their whim, charge as lit
tie as possible without exciting their suspi-
cion, and bring them around perfectly cured
as soon as they can be made to believe it.
You have no idea of the number Of intelli-
gent ladies who imagine they have consump-
ton or cancer. Some relative or acquaint-
ance of theirs has died with one of these
complaints, and the first time they cough
they are convinced it is the beginning Of
consumption. and the least little ri,nple or
burning sensation drives them almost fran
tic with the thought that a cancer is form
ing. The only possible way to deal with
this class OF cases is to thoroughly gain the
the physician like a cat, and any hesitation
on his part leads them TO either imagine the
worst or else set him down as incompetent.
II usually ask few direct questions such
as when the trouble was first noticed, the
exact location and intensity of the pain, and
then fall into their view of the matter
assure them that they have done wise
thing in coming to me at once as, now that
the trouble can be taken in time, there
viii be no difficulty in eifecting a speedy
cure. A few bread pills and bottle of
scented sirup are prepared with the greatest
care and particular directions given as to
how they are to be taken. At the next
visit l noticed a perceptible change for the
better, and am delighted, as / hardly ex-
pected any improvement SO soon. The third
visit shows a complete eradication of the
acute nature of the trouble. but to provide
against any return new remedies are ap
Piled At the fourth visit the patient is as
well as anybody, treatment is discontinued,
and | have gained few dollars and a life
long friend and patron
"And there is 10 quackery about it?''
''Not bit But if I were to tell the
truth in the first place the patient would
probably fall into the hands OF some unscru-
pulous medic who would scare the life out
OF her and charge dollars where I only take
cents
ITO what extent does this sort Of practice
exist?''
''Wen. if only those who really require n
physician were prescribed for one-quarter
of the doctors in Detroit would become
Micawbers. On the other hand, there are
a class of people not alone confined to the
poor who neglect calling a doctor until it is
too late He gets the case just in time TO
make oct the death certificate. There are
hundreds of cases terminating fatally which
might have been saved if taken in time.
This is n very uneven world, my friend,
take it how you will-financially, politi
cally, socially or incidentally. We boast of
our enlightenment, but You have no idea
of the superstition existing all around us.
WHY, the faith cure has so many follow
ers that it has almost grown respectable.
See the number of clairvoyant 'healcrs'
who maintain themselves in luxury by see
ing the disease and remedy in trance.
How many, think you, carry horse chest
nuts in their pockets every day OF their
lives to keep Off rheumatism, and would
not dare 90 without one? Not a few, | as
sure you. Look at the vast sales of patent
medicines Now let me tell yod something
about these patent medicines They are
prepared for general consumption. and for
that very reason must of necessity be with
out virtue You never hear of any one
being injured by thcnl-that would not do,
as it would at once stop the sale of the
article Se they are prepared for the most
delicate child and the strongest man-merc
wash \ remedy which viii DO no one harm
will do no one any good. There are a hun
dred other sIIperstitionS, but | don't know
as | ought to be surprised at them. Mcdi-
cine itself has only recently emerged from
an almost barhariC state. Less than twenty
five years ago we were salivating with calo-
mel, cupping and blistering, and bleeding
for almost everything. The counter irrit-
ant is still practiced to some extent"
''What is that
''Why, If a little boy was beating drum,
and You wished TO hush his noise. the way
TO do it would be to commence firing can
non. If you have q pain III your stomach
put on a blister and it viii hurt you 50 much
worse that you'n never notice the pain
Medicated r,aSTers are all right when an
piled TO extract pam or any deep seated
morbiditv. as has often been proven, but rs
a counter irritant ] regard them as relic
of barharism Eut. then, medicine has
made wonderful progress in the last
twenty years, since the homeopathic op-
position began. it woke the old school up
and Icy 50 doiny bestowed an i9ostinlahlo
boon upon humanity Its first ideas re-
garding inGaitasimal doses, were Is much
to one extreme IS the other schools Goses
were to tie other. Both schools have
reccded from their extreme views, ana are
now very near together. Another change
is the breaking Up OF tie profession into
spocialties ! country store contains
everything - hardware, groceries, dry
goods. boots and shoe. 50 Il uscd to be
with medicine Only tweug y-li@o years AGO
YOU had TO so 10 a doctor TO az 4 tooth
pulled Now You go 10 Il dentist The
eve and ear are made one Speciality. BRAN
diseases and insanity another, a!rI 50 on. 1t
is impossible fer oac mind to he expert 1t
all classes OF diseases. 1t iS too much 10
exDect a man who amputGtcs leg - be
able the next moment TO prescribe for 2Ii
infant with marasnlus. The dawn Is break
inc. sir. and am glad TO see It. t."--ietToit
Tribune.
1 Modcl Cooperative Institution.
The Bagiad Lumber, Blind and Sash
comnanv Of Florida, aS described by The
Times [ nion, is Il mc;lel institution. None